Week 1 was a disaster for Alabama, but coming out of the loss to Florida State, Ty Simpson turned into the best quarterback in college football. The first-year starter carried the Tide to eight straight wins with 19 touchdowns to 1 interception over that stretch, but then, mysteriously, his play tailed off down the stretch.
Simpson was reportedly hampered by multiple injuries late in the season, including a bursitis in his throwing elbow and a lower-back problem, but on Monday, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero finally revealed the real reason Ty Simpson looked like a different QB by the time November, December, and even January 1 rolled around.
Former Alabama QB Ty Simpson’s weight is back ahead of his throwing session at this week’s NFL combine, where Ohio State LB Sonny Styles will also participate — and could blow away the testing. @gmfb @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/T6H4yURXXw
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 23, 2026
Pelissero reported from the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, where Simpson will throw on Saturday, “he also was dealing with a severe case of gastritis toward the tail end of the season, and was weighing in the 190s by the time they got to the Rose Bowl.”
Ty Simpson has his weight back up in time to secure his spot in the first-round of the 2026 NFL Draft
Gastritis is defined as inflammation of the soft mucous stomach lining, which can cause a loss of appetite, stomach pain, bloating, and nausea, which explains why he wasn’t able to keep the weight on.
Now, Simpson’s frame is still a concern as he enters the draft process and NFL decision makers contemplate spending a first-round pick on him. However, Pelissero also added that “he’s now back up to 215, he’s going to look the part, and all the scouts I’ve talked to so far have said that in this type of session, Ty Simpson really should stand out.”
While he didn’t put together a full season in his lone year as a college starter, Simpson’s tape is littered with high-level NFL throws. He likely won’t have one of the elite-tier arms in the league, but he’s got more horsepower than the average NFL QB, and that will be on display at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday.
There are still other questions that linger about Simpson as a first-round prospect. At times, he struggles to operate under pressure, but most of those struggles came late in the season, and his weight loss from the gastritis may be a good explanation as to why.
Simpson is the clear QB2 in this class behind Fernando Mendoza. The combine should solidify that, and this news, which has only just come to light ahead of his showcase, may be enough to quiet the concerns QB-needy teams have about him.